update

It gets ever harder to keep this thing up to date with life and easier methods of communication like Facebook. But I will try, just in case someone still looks at this.

Maisie is in Second grade at a Charter school named OWL. It is a school that specializes in helping kids who struggle to learn in the traditional methods used in most of today's public schools. She is doing well and getting caught up with her reading each day. The school is small and she is making many friends and is currently starting a cheer leading squad for Boise state!! The kids get really creative when there isn't a ton of play equipment. Maisie is proud that she finally hit 50lbs.

Addie is in Parkplace preschool. Nampa public schools preschool program to help children with development needs. Addie is one of their "typical" kids. She helps the other students know and see what it is they should be doing. She loves it and is learning soooo much!! A little bus comes, picks and drops her off each day. She is getting so grown up. She is very helpful at home and loves to be my little helper. If I can't find something I ask her. She almost always knows where it is. Independent just like Maisie but does more for herself, does her own hair, picks her own clothes (o boy), gets her things ready and out to the car when she needs to. It's great. She is a big help with Sawyer too.

Sawyer is a little comedian!! He is almost walking, more like he could if he wanted to, just doesn't want to. He stands up all the time and dances, just won't step! HE loves to turn off the tv and push any other buttons he can find. He gets a kick out of teasing us that he will push it. He goes up and down the stairs like lightning. Jabbers at us all the time. Says several words, but mostly just Dada. He is without a dought a Daddy's boy, Brannon so much as even leaves Sawyers sight he freaks out!!! It is something to watch. He is most happy when he is in his highchair, or in his crib. He loves minke blankets just like his sisters, and rubs them on his nose like Maisie. He is a great sleeper and takes great naps. A mom's dream baby....so far!

Brannon has had a rough go of it with the military lately. Brannon has for the last year worked tiredly to get the Idaho National Guard ready to deploy again this September. He was told he would be staying home on the rear detachment to do logistics from home and man several armories while they were deployed. A huge difficult job that would take a senior supply person. Why they were leaving Brannon, he is very good at his job. Well 2 weeks after the soldiers had left to Mississippi for training prior to leaving for Iraq we get a call telling him he needed to leave to catch up to troops in Mississippi in days! Needless to say our family was in shock and very unprepared in every way!! We hurriedly took care of financial and legal documents, packed, and tried to prepare our kids for the difficult event ahead. After a gut reaching week of preparing to leave, and then another gut wrenching week of waiting for paperwork to be completed and personnel to fight out what the heck was going on.. We discovered that Brannon is temporarily unemployable because a medication he is on requires blood work every 6 months. Facilities in Iraq can't do the tests because facilities are closing. So apparently he can't go! I will believe it when the troops have been in Iraq for 2 months. The military can do whatever they want whenever to us, so I am less then trusting. This has been a horrible experience and I am even more angry with the military then I have ever been. I will hopefully work threw it all. For now I am just beyond grateful Brannon isn't leaving us right now.

All the stress of Brannon's thing caused me to have pinched nerves in my neck, ouch!! And a few days before we found out, I fell off a crate in the garage and sprained my ankle. Extra fun. Sawyer was sick again, 106 degree temperature. ER visit, very scary. He is doing better thankfully. I have been helping a friend in a bridal shop lately. I have learned so much from her. She is an amazing sewer and I love being there and helping!! I even do flower clips for her clients now. I love staying busy and taking care of my family!!! Things are good.

I know it has been a long time, and so much has gone on in the last 9 months, there is no way to catch this blog up. So I will hit highlights and post some pictures. Best I can do for now.

Maisie is done with her second year in school. She is a hard worker in school and loves her uniforms and teachers. Unfortunately we are very unsure if her current school will be open next year so we are on the hunt for another school for her. We have learned a lot about how she learns and how best to help her focus and concentrate. We still have a long way to go but everyday is new and a challenge. She is a supper sweet girl who loves to make everyone around her happy. She was baptized in March, and loves everything she is learning about the church.

Addie is feisty as always. We recently were visited by the binky fairy... again... She relapsed to a binky a few months after Sawyer was born. Unfortunately Addie has never figured out self soothing techniques without her binky so night times are still rough with her. Hard to get her to bed and she is up a lot at night which makes her cranky during the day sometimes. So we are working on that with her. No one makes me laugh quite like her. She is a wonderful help with Sawyer too. She turned 4 in May and is fascinated by the idea that she is Maisie's little sister, and Sawyers big sister.

Sawyer is the sweetest little man in the world! He is a mellow baby like Maisie was. Only cries when he is hungry or not being help enough. haha. He started crawling forward a few weeks ago. He has been going backwards for a month or two. He now has 5 teeth, and eats us out of house and home already!! He loves to snuggle and he loves Daddy!! He dances to any music he hears, even commercials. Everyone loves to snuggle on him and get their baby fixes with him because he is so sweet. He sleeps like a dream at night and I am so grateful for that. We blessed him in September. Of course I had to make his blessing outfit. Not quite as fun as a dress but very cute!! I realize I have baby proofing to do around here!

Brannon is very busy with work. Idaho guard is leaving for Iraq again in September. We have been blessed with the news that Brannon will be attached to the rear detachment who will be staying in Boise. He has been moved to Brigade or Battalion, I can never remember which one. Because he is the senior most Supply Sgt in his Brigade he has been asked to stay back. And senior refers to time in service not Brannon's age!!! HAHA! He won't appreciate that! We are grateful but he struggles with guilt that his soldier's are going and he isn't. I keep telling him that the most important thing to the soldier's is that their families are taken care of, and that is part of his job. They will be grateful their families are taken care of and that they won't have to worry. He will be traveling off and on for months until they are out of the country. I can deal with that, the idea of another 18 month deployment with 3 kids made me really heart sick. I am grateful to have a husband who is so full of integrity in his work and life. He loves this country and the uniform he wears. I am so proud of him!

I have been really busy with Photography work the last few months. I have been blessed with several huge jobs that have kept me really busy. I am learning tons and I feel like my business is growing and expanding. I also substituted a little this spring in the Vallivue School District. Wow what an experience. I have an even greater appreciation for teachers now! I have a new calling in church as assistant camp director and will be going to camp in a few weeks!! I am very excited about it. I love YW! I am also on the ward activities committee now as well. Ward Camp Outs here we come!! I also coached the Vallivue Middle School dance team this year. It was a great experience and I loved it. But it was a lot more work then I thought it would be. And it took more time then I thought it would. But it was wonderful to dance again and to teach again!

The summer is a normal busy summer with a trip to Montana, swim lessons, and lots of outside playing! Hopefully it will include some down time too!!

I have to say I could not do all I have had to do lately without the amazing help of my wonderful friends here!!! I am truly blessed to have friends who love my kids and are so willing to help! And a new laptop that allows me to work in more places then just my office!!